Are you currently experiencing numbness in your feet? Do your feet often turn hot and painful? Then, you might be suffering from a disease called Grierson Gopalan syndrome (burning feet syndrome).
You might be terrified to hear that, right? You might be guessing what this disease actually is. What are its spurs and warnings? Well, keep scrolling through this article, and you will discover everything about this syndrome.
Grierson Gopalan Syndrome
It’s an ailment in which one’s feet become unbearably hot and painful. If you have this disease, you will sense a burning impression on your feet.
Though some relief is found in the feet during the daytime, the burning impression becomes severe at night—most of the individuals undergoing this disorder experience this heat & pain on the soles of their feet.
However, a few individuals with Grierson Gopalan syndrome have to withstand this burning sensation on the tops of their feet, ankles & lower legs.
Reasons For Grierson Gopalan Syndrome
Grierson Gopalan Syndrome may arise because of several conditions or diseases, such as:
Nerve Damage
Nerve damage may happen because of many reasons, such as myriad illnesses, back injuries, slow breakdown of your spine or your spine’s degenerative changes, surgery, exposure to toxins & use of chemotherapy drugs.
Certain types of nerve damage especially induce the Grierson Gopalan Syndrome, and they are:
Peripheral Neuropathy
One of the widespread causes of Grierson Gopalan Syndrome or burning feet syndrome is Peripheral Neuropathy. It ensues because of the damage to your peripheral sensory nerves that connect the spinal cord of your body to the extremities.
People with high diabetes (suffering for many days) or poorly regulated blood glucose levels possess a chance of developing this disease. Peripheral neuropathy in people with high diabetes never happens all of a sudden.
The development of the disease is gradual but becomes worse with time. Chemotherapy agents, auto-immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, and kidney failure are some other causes of Peripheral neuropathy.
Besides, the disease also happens because of nutritional imbalances such as deficiency of Vitamin B & malabsorption sickness, hereditary diseases, toxic chemicals exposure, infections & alcoholism.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Besides the ankle bones, our ankle possesses a narrow space within it. It is called Tarsal Tunnel. And the Tarsal Tunnel comprises a posterior tibial nerve, the compression of which might lead to burning sensations, pain in different parts of our feet & a tingling sensation on our feet.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome may also impact our legs’ calves & inner ankles.
Morton’s Neuroma
Sometimes, some people’s nerve tissue between the bones placed inside their toes’ base may get thickened because they wore too tight shoes. It’s called Morton’s Neuroma. This kind of neuroma may also happen due to any sports injury, abnormal movement of one’s foot, stress, etc.
Complex Regional Pain (CRP) Syndrome
CRP Syndrome is a kind of rare but awfully painful disorder that generally occurs after any trauma or surgery.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Ailment/Disorder
This is an inherited neurological disorder & is known for causing damage to our legs‘ & feet’ peripheral nerves. With time, you will find that the pain is becoming worse. The ailment will greatly affect the muscles & nerves of your body & make you abnormally weak.
The arches of your feet will also get lifted due to it. The generation of abnormal stresses over your feet will result in stress fractures. And the outcome is that you will often need bracing support for the proper functioning of your legs & feet.
Endocrine Conditions Or Metabolic Disorders:
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes is a risky condition, especially the type 1 & type 2 variety of it. They may seriously affect your body’s peripheral nerves, especially those present in your feet & legs (sensory nerves).
Moreover, your peripheral nerves are susceptible to damage if your glucose levels are high or you have had high diabetes for a long time. Besides, if your blood glucose levels are high, it can affect the signals’ transmission from your peripheral nerves & weaken the walls of your blood vessels.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism or underactiveness of the thyroid gland may also result in the happening of Grierson Gopalan syndrome. This burning sensation in your feet comes with weight gain, fatigue & dry skin.
Infections
Athlete’s Foot: Another name for this infection is tinea pedis. Dermatophytes or mold-like fungi that grow in our skin’s moist & warm areas cause this fungal infection. The fungi get spread further by wearing damp shoes or socks. If you have developed an athlete’s foot in your feet, you may feel an intense itching & burning sensation or a stinging sensation in between your feet’ toes & soles.
Some Other Reasons
Erythromelalgia or Erythermalgia:
Erythromelalgia/Erythermalgia is a rare disorder that can give rise to heightened skin temperature, erythema, redness of your toes/soles, & severe burning pain. Erythromelalgia may also affect your hands.
The actual spur of this disease is unknown. Also, it flares up at certain times only. However, it’s the burning pain it induces is continuous & may last from a few minutes to numerous days. The disease also makes the affected area tender & warm. In some cases, the same area even swells up.
Too Tight Footwear That Doesn’t Get Fitted Properly:
Wearing shoes/stockings that are extremely tight irritates our sensitive feet & exerts pressure on some parts of our feet.
Exercise-Induced Stress / Stress Resulted From Physical Injury
Contact Dermatitis:
There are some chemicals & dyes that are used in tanning leather. These chemicals may sometimes irritate your skin.
Allergies:
Some substances are used in making shoes & socks. These substances may sometimes trigger allergy symptoms.
Miscellaneous causes:
The other miscellaneous causes are Gitelman syndrome, multiple sclerosis, hereditary causes, chronic mountain sickness, Leishmaniasis, psychosomatic disorder & idiopathic (unidentified) causes.
7 Indications Of Grierson Gopalan Syndrome
- Sharp stabbing pain or numbness in your feet/legs
- The heaviness of your feet
- Redness of the skin of the affected area
- Excess warmth in the affected area
- A feeling that something is prickling & tingling with pins or needles in your feet
- Dull ache in your feet
- A burning sensation that often gets worsens at nighttime.
How To Diagnose The Grierson Gopalan Syndrome? Which Doctor To Consult For Burning Feet?
Grierson Gopalan Syndrome can be diagnosed with the help of a specialist/doctor who treats various issues associated with our feet. They can diagnose the disease by determining the underlying reasons for the symptoms we are experiencing.
Now, the question is, what doctor to see for numbness in your toes? The answer is a podiatrist.
The podiatrist is none other than a specialist/doctor who is responsible for diagnosing & treating various problems associated with our feet. They will first perform a physical assessment of the patient & ask about the patient’s medical history.
The patient must confide in them about any physical symptoms they are going through & also about the medicines they are taking. The podiatrist will test the reflexes of the patient & examine their feet to see if there is any indication of trauma, fungal infection, or other problems.
If the podiatrist is not satisfied, they may order some blood tests to measure if the blood glucose level inside your body is okay. They may also screen for endocrine disorders & nutritional deficiencies through these tests.
In some cases, if your podiatrist deems it necessary, they may advise you to go for some nerve function tests such as Electromyography, nerve conduction speed (velocity) test, etc. These nerve tests help them to determine if you are suffering from burning feet syndrome or not.
Some people also wonder which doctor to consult for leg swelling. Well! It all depends on the symptoms of your leg swelling. If you experience burning feet syndrome type of symptoms in your feet, it’s wise to consult a podiatrist.
However, if you feel that your feet or legs have swelled up a lot and you are experiencing the symptoms of arthritis in your feet, you should consult a Rheumatologist.
The Rheumatologist is a specialist whose responsibility is to diagnose and treat different types of arthritis and related conditions. They treat various conditions relating to joints, bones, and muscles.
Treatment For Grierson-Gopalan Syndrome
You can cure Grierson Gopalan syndrome through:
Self Care
Take self-care of your feet at your home. First, soak the feet for at least 15-20 minutes in cool (not cold) water. You will experience temporary relief by doing that. Don’t carry your feet near heat. Elevate your feet/legs.
If necessary, you may take any OTC analgesics-type medicines. Any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, ibuprofen or ketoprofen, will temporarily ease your pain.
Further, you may also apply any topical cream or ointment (comprising capsaicin) to the affected area for pain relief. Doctors prescribe various antifungal creams, sprays, powders, and lotions to treat athletes’ feet.
Doctor-prescribed medicines:
- Nutritional supplements for fulfilling the vitamin deficiencies of people
- Analgesics like oral narcotic (topical)/non-narcotic medications for relieving pain
- Various topical creams, sprays, powders & lotions for alleviating discomfort.
- Insulin/Oral hypoglycemic drugs for controlling the levels of blood glucose of diabetic people.
- Tricyclic Antidepressants for reducing chronic neuropathy pain.
- Anticonvulsant drugs such as Gabapentin, pregabalin, etc for treating chronic pain
- Antifungal drugs for treating fungal infections
Physical activities & therapies
Using orthotic devices & foot pads
Change of diet
Orthopedic surgery for such cases where medications don’t work out.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Grierson Gopalan Syndrome
Q. What vitamin deficiency can cause burning feet?
Answer: A deficiency of Vitamin B-12 results in burning feet.
Q. Is there a cure for Burning feet syndrome?
Answer: Yes, Burning Feet Syndrome gets cured through self-care or doctor-prescribed medicines. Take the medication after consulting a podiatrist.
Q. Should I be worried about burning feet?
Answer: There’s nothing much to be concerned about in normal cases where home treatment responds to the disease. However, if that doesn’t happen, you have to go for the doctor’s intervention. Also, you must take your burning feet seriously if you are suffering from diabetes mellitus, malnutrition & peripheral nerve damage.
Q. Why do my feet burn up at night in bed?
Answer: Experiencing burning feet at nighttime is an indication that you have Grierson Gopalan syndrome.